Food Bloggers of Canada Conference in Montreal (FBC2015)

Part of the Toqué! "Family"; March 2015 - Toqué! ranked best restaurant in Canada; some budgets are a better match to this "little sister" / Brasserie which offers magic from the same kitchen (and won a 2014 Diner's Choice Award). Great central location.

FBC2015 Montreal Tips

Walking Tour App. Whether alone or in a small group this app can be your guide. There is a free version with useful features, and a $5.00 upgrade gives you all features. See GPSmyCity: Montreal. The App description says "This application is designed to work offline without cellular or internet connection." Note this news of "Smart Montreal" - free wi-fi in Old Montreal.

Language. I am not fluent in French, but have never encountered a problem (or "attitude") anywhere I have traveled in Quebec. I do always try to use French and then am rescued when my incompetence quickly becomes evident. it seems customary to offer a friendly "bon jour" greeting when entering a store - especially small private shops. The "techie" part of me insists on sharing another app tip. There are many translator apps. My favourite is iTranslate Voice - and I paid for the full feature version (under $10) which enables "Air Translate" - though the free version works fine. Also free is Google Translate - which translates signs!! Both use voice, as well as typing - voice is faster.

Bicycles. Montreal was the first Canadian City to adopt a "city bike" program - it is called Bixi. Hourly and day passes are available and most / many streets have separate bike lanes. Am betting Tourism Montreal will have info on that. Worth noting that the "mont" in Montreal refers to "mount" and it is uphill from an Old Montreal starting point.

Transit. Using the Google Maps App, you will feel less like a nervous tourist when this app offers you incredibly helpful transit info. it recognizes where you are, how many steps you are from the nearest, appropriate transit system entry, route numbers and departure times - and cost.

Neighborhoods. I could be hauled over the coals by Montreal tourist aficionados - but here are the "areas" that have interested me:

Mount Royal - a great view of the city, especially at night, but I think I have only done this two or three times in my life. My pref is to taxi up and take the stairs down - which puts you close to charming McGill campus and lovely surrounding neighborhoods. (I know it's controversial but I am an Uber fan. The first ride is free.)

The Plateau is a trendy neighborhood. I lay no claim to being "trendy", but this is where I always stay in Montreal - except for FBC2015.

The Plateau is where you'll find the best bagels at St-Viateur. In good weather and when feeling energetic, I like to take my bagel treat and sit in La Parc Fontaine - good people watching. I love little Square Saint Louis (Sherbrooke and St. Denis) - and St. Denis is my favourite north/south street for walking between the Plateau and Old Montreal.

More streets worth walking - Boulevard St-Laurent (walk until you bump into Schwartz's Deli); Rue Ste Catherine - a shopping street - but I am not a big shopper so don't often go there.

Old Montreal. A must see - and maybe in October it will not be shoulder to shoulder tourists... I will peek at the boutiques at Marché Bonsecours - you might recognize some of the vendors from the Toronto One of a Kind shows.

Markets. We are food enthusiasts - so a market is a must see. I tend to go to Jean Talon - it's open every day and is easy to access via the Metro. Distinct and impressive among all the markets I have visited. Will have to check out how easy it is to get to Atwater Market from the hotel location - and/or will let HopStop app help me out!

Enjoy! and hope we will meet and chat in Montreal! or... Je l'espère, nous allons rencontrer et de discuter à Montréal (Translated in nanoseconds by iTranslate - translation better be accurate or I may be in trouble...)